A Simple Solution to the 78 Percent Failure Rate

When was the last time you spent $8,690 on a product that failed to work 78 percent of the time? The State Department of Education reported that Meridian School District charged taxpayers $8,690 per student to attend their schools last year. Now we learn that 34 of the district’s 46 schools (78 percent) failed to make adequate progress.

So what are your choices if your child is attending one of these 34 failing public schools? Schools that fall short two years in a row are supposed to offer to pay for additional tutoring for students. Superintendent Linda Clark said, “The district will put as many resources as it can into helping improve performance of students who didn’t meet expectations on statewide achievement exams.” You may want to contact Linda Clark at 855-4500 to find out how much money the district is going to provide you with to help tutor your student.

Here is better suggestion: Why doesn’t the Meridian School District simply give the parents of students attending the 34 failing schools the option of accepting a $5,000 voucher that can be used to attend a private school that better fits their children’s needs? The district wins, the student wins, the parents win, and the taxpayers win.

Tom Luna’s new Idaho Department of Education website states, “We at the State Department of Education are determined to create a customer-driven education system that meets the needs of every student in Idaho and prepares them to live, work and succeed in the 21st century.” Obviously if 78 percent of the schools are failing then every student in Idaho will not be prepared to live, work and succeed in the 21st century. Clearly the current system of granting monopolies to districts has failed Idaho’s students and taxpayers.

It’s time for Mr. Luna to get serious about his determination to create a “customer-driven” education system. He can begin by supporting education tax credits and vouchers where parents can choose the best school for their children. This will create incentives for entrepreneurs and parents to create high-performing and productive schools.

The free market typically offers money-back guarantees for its products and services. Isn’t there something deeply immoral about the government forcing you to send your children to a failing school? Imagine a school that guaranteed results or gave your money back. It’s time for Tom and Linda to get real about solving our public education problem instead of more empty rhetoric. Stop holding students hostage in failing schools.